1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to refrigerator cabinets and, more particularly, to an improved leveling system therefor.
2. Description of Background Art
A refrigerator conventionally includes a cabinet having a support frame or shell. Most refrigerators are intended to be free standing and to rest on a floor or other flat surface. Oftentimes the floor is not level, or there may be relative raised or lower portions of the floor at the position where the refrigerator cabinet is to be installed. Advantageously, the refrigerator cabinet should be mounted so that it is level.
The need for leveling a refrigerator cabinet is of particular importance when the cabinet comprises a built-in refrigerator cabinet. With a such built-in refrigerator cabinet, the unit is typically flush mounted with adjacent cabinets and must suitably fill in the space provided therefor. To do so, it may be necessary to adjust the height of the top of the cabinet so that it is spaced a desirable distance from superjacent cabinets or other structure.
Typical prior art leveling systems comprised a leveling leg adjustably fastened to the frame or shell. Particularly, the leveling leg included a leveling pad connected to a threaded rod. The frame was provided with a mated threading element into which the rod was threadably inserted. The leveling pad included suitably shaped body or other element engagable by a tool, such as a wrench, for causing rotation of the leveling pad. Rotation of the leveling pad results in adjusting the height at the location of the leveling leg owing to the threaded relationship between the threaded rod and the frame.
Generally, such a leveling leg is provided at each front and rear corner of the cabinet Adjustment of the front leveling legs is generally readily accomplished due to the close proximity between the leveling leg and the front of the cabinet The situation is not quite so simple with the rear leveling legs. With the cabinet installed in its intended position a long, open end wrench must be used to raise or lower the rear leveling legs. The installer must necessarily be in a prone position while awkwardly "fishing"for the rear leveling leg with a tool that is difficult to use. The difficulty of such adjustment increases with depth of the cabinet.
The present invention is intended to overcome one or more of the problems as set forth above, in a novel and simple manner.